thumb|right|250px|Universalist Church of West Hartford
The Universalist Church of West Hartford is a Unitarian Universalist congregation in West Hartford, Connecticut.
History
The church organized in 1821, but it had its origins in Hartford in the late 18th century, during the period when the Congregational church was dominant in the area. At that time, a sizable group of people, influenced by Elhanan Winchester, began to reject Calvinist doctrine and espouse a belief in the universal goodness of God. In 1821, after a visit to Hartford by Hosea Ballou of Boston, the "First Independent Universalist Society of the City of Hartford" was formed and called its first minister. The name was changed in 1870 to "Church of the Redeemer"—to give the church "a specific title or name", and in the early 1960s was changed to "The Universalist Church of West Hartford".
The first meetinghouse, located in downtown Hartford across the street from the Old State House, was completed and dedicated in 1824. It was used until 1860.